Currents
by silkencrow
Summary: "Monsters don't live under our beds, they live inside our heads. And sometimes...they win." *really bad at summaries. So sorry*
1. Chapter 1

"You are the 22nd participant to arrive. Please keep your number with you at all times and display it on your person. Good luck."

I took my badge from the green jelly bean man with hesitation. __What an interesting...species?__

"Thank you," I tell the organism quickly before walking away. After a day of traveling through the outdoors and the bright culture of Zaban, this new setting has me on edge. Greenish-grey walls with pipes that conjure the feeling of being in a sewer. Not the most welcoming of settings, but then again, that's probably the point.

 _ _Well...probably best to find a decently clean place to avoid everyone before the exam starts.__

The large pipes on the sides of the walls draw my attention immediately and I smile slightly. Most people hate being up high, but I find it comforting. The higher up I am, the more calm I am.

After easily jumping onto one of the pipes and sitting down, I notice that participants start to come in more frequently. They all look so serious and professional. Maybe taking the Hunter's Exam was a bad idea after all. I'd only really decided to do it on a whim. These guys looked so stoic...what a bunch of stiffs…..

My interest in the newcomers quickly dissipates, and I find myself extremely bored. __Why was I taking this stupid exam anyways?__

 _ _Because you make stupid decisions when you're bored.__

 _ _Shut up, self...__

My sigh reflects years of self-annoyance. I hope the ball gets rolling soon, because a bored Clover is never a good thing. Well...for the people around me, that is.

 _ _There has to be almost a hundred people in here by now...__

 _ _Looks like the fun can start early.__

I spot a group of participants who look like they could use some stimulation, and hop down from my pipe. Without anyone noticing me, I easily sneak up behind my first victim. My finger barely touches the man's back but he jolts in surprise, like he got shocked.

"Ow! What the hell was that?!"

I had to cover my mouth to contain my chuckle. As the man spins around in circles trying to find the source, I lightly touch the man next to him.

"Yowch! What the-?"

"Hey! Did you get shocked too?"

"Yeah! Is someone playing a prank?"

"Whoever's doing this, show yourself!"

My eyes are watering with mirth, but I keep silent as I slip through the crowd unnoticed, touching people as I pass. Soon half of the contestants are in a tizzy.

My nifty little talent of static electricity has never been a good influence on my mischievous side. I can concentrate it into certain parts of my body, and upon contact with something else, I can transfer that electricity. It was made aware to me in a rather interesting way. Some drunken bastard was saying inappropriate things to a young girl one night while I was out scavenging for food. He eventually shoved her, and I remember looking at my fist in annoyance, contemplating how hard I could punch the douche. In the end, I laid him out in one swing. The interesting part though, was that as he was lying there, little static currents ran through his body making his unconscious form twitch. Like he'd been electrocuted.

And yes, I am aware that pranking innocent bystanders isn't the best way to use my ability.

 _ _But__ , I smirk to myself, __Its so very amusing...__

An interesting face catches my attention and I chuckle devilishly. The man looks odd, with clown-like clothes and face paint, and striking red hair. If my mind wasn't completely occupied with mischief, I would have paid more attention to the obvious confidence in his stance, and the sense of strength coming from him.

But I was occupied by other, more important matters.

I creep slowly towards him while trying to stay unnoticed. As I get closer a feeling of apprehension starts to invade my senses. I dismiss it, and decide instead to change my exit strategy. Instead of hanging back and watching like I usually would, I'd full on run away. My heart pounds in my chest and adrenaline causes me to tremble slightly with excitement. I stand right behind him now and watch almost outside of my body as my finger slowly lifts. My breath catches...and then the tip of my finger makes contact.

The shock was bigger than I had intended it to be and the man jerks forward a bit. Dread ensues as a threatening feeling nearly chokes me. By the time the clown man has turned around I'm back on my pipe, not moving an inch. Not even breathing. I close my eyes in an attempt to get my heart to stop pounding.

"How very naughty of you, hmm~"

My body freezes for one whole, terrifying second. Then I'm off the pipe and turning around to face the clown man, but stop immediately as I feel a single finger poking the back of my head.

"So...you're the naughty little prankster getting all the contestants riled up?~"

My mouth was cemented shut, and all my brain could think was, __busted__.

"I asked you a question, little minx~"

Apparently, my mouth just needed a little encouragement.

"Y-yes, I was the one shocking people," my voice comes out clear, albeit terrified.

 _ _I can't die before the exam even starts!__

 _ _That's what you get for pranking innocent people...__

 _ _Not now, conscience!__

"Hmm~"

His finger trails through my hair as he walks leisurely around me, so that we're facing each other. Picking up a piece of my dark purple hair, he studies it with a devious smile. Anger wells at his obvious teasing. He wanted me to be terrified. __Well__ , I thought, __it's just my luck to get caught by a psychopathic clown.__

"Oh, I just love that look! How delicious~" he says with a creepy smile, "How did you manage to completely conceal your presence from me? Even when I was right next you on the pipe I could only physically see you...zetsu?"

Ignoring his confusing comment, I try to give him my best glare.

"Look, mister. I'm sorry that I shocked you and everyone else, but I know for a fact that it didn't hurt enough to be painful so can you just accept my sincerest apology and leave me alone?"

Clown man pauses and I think that maybe my tough speech worked. I thought wrong. Before I can even blink, my back is slammed into the wall and clown man's hand is around my throat. His grip is strong, but not crushing. My breath catches nonetheless.

"What's your name?~" he purrs in my ear, causing a shiver to run through my body.

"Clover."

" _ _Clover__ ," he says my name like someone says their favorite dessert, "how old are you~?"

"Seventeen."

"Hmm. Quite complacent now, aren't we~"

 _ _Bastard!__ I grit my teeth at his mocking tone but stop myself from giving a sassy comment.

"I'm not stupid. You're obviously quite a bit stronger than me," I say, but my voice comes out a little petulant. He smirks at me and I see a hint of approval in his eyes. __Great, I've impressed the crazy clown man.__

"How about we make a deal~?" He asks me suddenly. I raise an eyebrow in response.

"I'll accept your apology, and spare your life, if you answer every question I ask you from here on out with complete honesty~."

My head tilts to the side in confusion. What a weird request. __But easy to comply with...__

"You have yourself a deal, mister clown man."

"Hisoka," he tells me with a smirk before dropping his hand from my neck. The tension in my body lessens drastically at the loss of contact.

"Well, __Clover__ , you'll know when I have a question for you~."

His eyes glint with something, but I can't tell what exactly. I decide not knowing what the psychopath is thinking is better than knowing and stiffly walk away.

When I feel I'm far enough away from Hisoka, and have picked another pipe to sit on, I resume watching people arrive. A few are comical to look at, but most scream __boring__. When I think that nobody remotely fun to interact with will show up, the last three contestants make an appearance. The two taller ones, a blonde Kurta and a well-dressed teen, look about the same age as me. While the boy with the green outfit looks around two or three years younger. Something about them seems more __driven__ than anyone else here, like they need to succeed the most, despite them being some of the youngest here.

 _ _Maybe you should just go talk to them rather than analyze them and stop being a loner.__

 _ _...I hate when you're right.__

I make my way to them slowly, still on high alert for Hisoka. So far, he hasn't approached me since I walked away from him. All that's done is make me more nervous though.

"Hello."

All three of them jump at my greeting, almost like they didn't know I was there. __I was standing right in front of them...__

The boy my age is the first to recover, and he gives me a wide smile.

"Hi! You scared me! I didn't even notice you standing there," he says excitedly.

"I'm Gon! This is Kurapika," He, Gon, continues. I smile warmly at Kurapika, who I previously identified as a Kurta. The robes gave him away. The Kurta Clan has always been welcoming and kind to me. Never making me beg for food, but rather offering it, as though they knew my predicament without me having to explain it. Kurapika looks surprised at my friendliness and his face reddens slightly. __Is he not usually greeted with friendliness?__

"And this is Leorio!" Gon continued, breaking my train of thought. The guy with the glasses and nice suit, Leorio, smiles at me casually with a little wave. I smile back and give them all a small bow.

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Clover."

"Clover, you are so pretty!" Gon says with wide, innocent eyes. I'm so thrown by his sudden comment that I actually take a step back, even stumbling a little in the process. Kurapika quickly reaches out and grabs my arm before I can fall and make an even bigger fool of myself.

All three of them give me extremely puzzled looks at my reaction. __Who...who just says that after first meeting someone?!__

"Are you okay?" Kurapika asks me curiously while letting go of my arm. My eyes widen even more and I feel my cheeks heat up.

 _ _Maybe being a loner is better for you...__

 _ _Ugh.__

"Y-yes. Thank you. I-uh...haha..." my sentence breaks off into laughter as I realize why Gon's comment freaked me out so much.

"I'm so sorry, you probably think I'm crazy now. Its just..." I chuckle one more time before straightening and smiling shyly, "that's the first time anyone has ever said that to me."

Gon just looks confused again, while Kurapika and Leorio's jaws seem to hit the floor. __What's with that...__

"How old are you?!" Leorio asks me. Before I can answer, we're interrupted by a chubby man in a track suit.

"Hey, there! I'm Tonpa. This your first time taking the exam?"

I move so that I'm slightly behind the trio, not really wanting to talk to Tonpa. __These three boys are fun, definitely not boring at all...__

"Clover, do you want some juice?"

I look up from the ground at Gon's voice and notice that the three of them have accepted canned juices from Tonpa. __He was handing out juices to other applicants earlier...__

"No, thank you," I tell Tonpa with a smile, and make sure that my eyes shine with distrust. He gulps nervously but quickly regains his composure to smile.

Gon abruptly lets all of the juice he'd just taken a drink of fall out of his mouth.

"Uh, Mr. Tonpa, I think you're juice might be expired."

My mint green gaze darkens harshly and cuts to Tonpa. A few drops of sweat appear on his face as he takes a step back. I don't let up my glare until he's on his knees apologizing.

"R-really? I can't believe it, I never even noticed!" He stutters out nervously, sweating even more now. __Yeah, I can't believe it either.__ My anger spikes.

A few of the contestants look over at us with apprehension. __Whoops...I didn't growl did I?__ Sometimes I growl when I'm angry. Kurapika, Gon, and Leorio aren't giving me weird looks though...

Before I can give it much more thought a panicked scream grabs the attention of every contestant. We all turn our heads to see a man on his knees in pain. He's holding his arms out in front of him...which are quickly turning into flower petals. __Yikes.__

"Oh dear, it seems his arms have turned into flower petals~" Hisoka says excitedly. My eyes move sharply to see him standing next to the hysterical man.

"No smoke and mirrors here. Maybe you should apologize after bumping into someone...~" Hisoka turns his head slightly, looking straight at me. I tense and take his look to mean, __I have a question for you.__ The three boys are too preoccupied with Tonpa's explanation of who Hisoka is to notice me slip away. I follow him until he sits against a wall.

"You like attention, don't you?" I can't help saying as I stand in front of him. He only smirks and pats the ground next to him. I sit. He picks up a piece of my hair to play with. I try not to cringe.

"It's your fault, little minx. Letting out your bloodlust like that...it got me excited. I __had__ to do something violent~"

"My...what?"

Hisoka slants a look at me, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes.

"Do you know what Nen is?~" He asks me curiously.

"No. Nen? What's that?" I ask with a tilt of my head. Hisoka narrows his eyes at me like he doesn't believe me.

"Hey, don't give me that look! We made a deal didn't we? I'm not in the practice of going against my word," I tell him, equally serious. For an entire second, Hisoka looks completely unamused. I start to sweat. __Shit.__

But then he smiles wide and devilishly, causing some of the tension to leave my body. In hindsight, his smile should have scared me more than his straight face...

"Any more questions?" I ask him nervously. He chuckles. __Bastard__.

"Just one, for now. Do you know how to fight?~"

"Yes."

Hisoka raises an eyebrow at my confident answer, but doesn't say anything. I take that as my queue to leave. My escape fails when I'm pulled back down by my hair. He hadn't let go of the piece he was playing with when I stood up. My attempt not to glare at him fails miserably, and he chuckles at my expression.

"Oh how I love that delicious look of yours~," he purrs in my ear before releasing me. I stand up slowly, not taking my eyes off of him until I'm sure he's done playing with me.

"Bye, Hisoka," I say, backing away from him.

"Bye, bye...little minx~."

* * *

AN

This is my first time publishing fanfiction so any feedback is welcome. Of course if it's mean I probably won't take it seriously...  
Anyways, I have no idea which pairing I want to do so you'll find out when I do, although I do know that it'll be either KurapikaXOC or HisokaXOC  
Allons-y


	2. Chapter 2

__Hisoka...is a really scary dude.__

 _ _You're just now realizing this?__

 _ _Shut up, self.__

"Clover! There you are! We were starting to get worried," Gon suddenly shouts from my left, waving me over excitedly.

"Worried?" I ask him confused as I reach their group, then look at Kurapika and Leorio, "What were you worried about?"

Again they give me confused, almost dumbfounded looks.

"We were worried about you being over there with Hisoka. Tonpa told us he almost killed an examiner last year, just because he wanted to," Kurapika said with a serious expression. __They were worried...about me?__

"We were watching to make sure nothing happened!" Gon exclaimed.

I feel my eyes widen, and before I know it I've launched myself at Gon, giving him a tight hug. He only hesitates for a few seconds before returning my affection.

"Clover...are you okay?" He asks me curiously. I release him and turn to Kurapika to give him a crushing hug as well. His face reddens again but he also reciprocates after a few second. Leorio looks excited when I turn to him and opens his arms with an expectant smile. I'm about to take a step towards him when a loud alarm sounds off.

My attention is diverted from Leorio to the lifting wall, but before I turn away I see Kurapika smirk at Leorio's disappointed face. __Boys are weird...__

"Hello. Sorry for the delay. Please follow me," says a man from the other side of the lifted wall.

 _ _He doesn't have a mouth...__

Either nobody is bothered by the examiner's lack of a mouth or they're all freaking out internally like me, because no one comments or makes a sound.

The examiner turns around and starts walking down the tunnel, shortly followed by all the participants.

"I've neglected to introduce my self. I'm Mr. Satotz. I'll be leading you to the second phase," the sans mouth man tells us primly.

"Second phase?" Asks a bald ninja, "What about the first phase?"

"The first phase has already commenced. You must follow me."

"All we have to do is follow you?"

"Correct. Now then, lets pick up the pace shall we?"

Mr. Satotz must have sped up because soon all of the participants were running. __How boring__ , I thought. __This exam was supposed to be extremely hard. So far it's just been troublesome for me.__

 _ _That's what you get for letting your boredom control you.__

 _ _Why are you always here?__

"Clover."

"Hmm?" I glance at Kurapika, who's running on my left with Leorio to his left.

"Why did you suddenly hug us," he asks me curiously.

"Oh geez, sorry again for acting crazy. I did it without thinking. I guess I'm just not used to having people worry about me. It felt...nice," my cheeks heat slightly and I smile wide at Kurapika and Leorio.

"What about your parents?" Leorio asks, confused.

"I don't have parents," I say casually, maintaining my smile, "I'm an orphan. And the mistresses at the orphanage didn't care much for me. I guess I got into too much trouble for their liking. I don't blame them really. I'm a handful when I'm bored."

"Well I like you a lot, Clover!" Gon exclaims from my right.

"I like you a lot too, Gon!" I say. We smile at each other and high five. __Wow, I think I just officially made a friend.__

"I'm glad I decided to introduce myself. It was honestly out of character for me, but you all seemed so interesting," I say excitedly.

All three boys chuckle at my confession, and lapse into easy conversation. I'm soon distracted though, by the sound of a skateboard approaching. __No way!__ I look around excitedly, trying to find the source of the noise. __I love skateboarding so much! Hopefully the owner is nice and will let me try a few tricks!__

"Hey, kid! Why don't you show the Hunter Exam some respect?" Leorio suddenly shouts. I look over to him, and see that he's yelling at the owner of the skateboard. My eyes widen when I see him. Silver hair, blue eyes, pale skin...he's a Zoldyck.

"Hmm?"

"Using your skateboard is cheating!" Leorio shouts angrily. The boy raises an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Leorio scoffs. "Because this is an endurance test!" He yells. __I don't think Mr. Satotz said that...__

"No, it isn't," Gon speaks up from beside me. I silently agree.

"What, Gon?! Who's side are you on?" Leorio whines. I chuckle at his betrayed expression.

"Mr. Satotz only said to follow him. He didn't specify that this was an endurance test of some sorts. Sorry, Leorio," I say to him with a sweet smile. A light pink dusts his cheeks and he mumbles something about it being okay. Kurapika gives him another smirk. __So weird.__

I look back at the boy and stare straight into blue eyes. His gaze is penetrating and makes me feel as though I've stared into those same exact eyes once before. I gulp, realizing that I have. Silva's eyes are almost exactly the same. Is this kid in the family business too? Before I can get too uncomfortable, he shifts his gaze to Gon.

"How old are you?" He asks Gon as he skates closer to us. Gon gives him a big smile.

"I'm 12!" He answers. The boy looks pleased with that answer and causally flips off of his skateboard.

"I think I'll run too," he says nonchalant, while Gon gives him an impressed look.

"I'm Killua."

"I'm Gon! This is Kurapika, Leorio, and Clover," he introduces everyone excitedly. My interest peeks at hearing his name. I had the unfortunate luck of coming across Illumi and Silva once when I was in Meteor City. The confrontation is nothing but a blank space in my memory, but I could never forget Silva's dead eyes as he approached me. __Maybe Killua is different than his assassin family...__

Killua gives the two older boys a nod of acknowledgement, and then turns his attention to me. I see absolutely no recognition in his expression, and my gut tells me that he doesn't know anything about me. We stare at each other for a few more seconds, equally curious about one another, then, "How old are you, Clover?"

Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio all lean forward slightly in anticipation. __So weird...__

"...Seventeen."

Leorio almost falls down due to stumbling. "W-what?!" He exclaims. Kurapika looks just as surprised but maintains his composure.

"Do I...do I not look seventeen?" I ask Kurapika with a confused expression. Leorio starts laughing and Kurapika smiles at me.

"No. You look much older than seventeen. I thought you were at least nineteen or twenty..." Kurapika answers me truthfully.

"Yeah, I mean, you definitely seem more mature than a seventeen year old," Leorio continues, almost to himself.

"Oh," I mumble, "uh...okay?"

"It's a compliment. Don't worry," Kurapika says to me reassuringly. My smile comes easily in answer.

"Oh! Killua, may I please borrow your skateboard? I promise not to break it!" I ask pleadingly. His eyes widen slightly and he glances at the skateboard in his hands. With a shrug he tosses the board to me. I easily catch it and my smile widens so much I fear my face might spilt.

I bend slightly and push the skateboard so that it rolls in front of me, before expertly hoping onto it. Three kick flips, two kickbacks, and one front foot impossible later I remember that I have an audience. __I was just so excited...__

I kick up the board so that I can resume running and shyly hand it back to Killua.

"Thanks.." I mumble. They all give me open mouthed expressions.

 _ _Show off...__

 _ _Shut up, self.__

"Ne, Clover," Gon says, "that was awesome!"

"Thank you," I tell him with a smile and a bow. Killua smirks, shaking his head slightly. Gon asks Killua if he can do what I did and they quickly start a conversation. __I think I like having friends.__

We continue running for what seems like forever and my boredom starts to rear its annoying head. My own thoughts can only keep my interest for so long before the lack of excitement has my nerves grinding.

My thoughts are interrupted by something hitting my cheek. When I rub it, I'm disgusted to feel a sticky and slightly rubbery substance there. I pull my hand away to see what it is, but there's nothing there. __Am I imagining things?__ I feel my cheek to make sure, and again feel the odd substance there. __Maybe its just really hard to see...__

I focus really hard on my hand. Some static runs through my hand and, all of a sudden, I can see a pink gummy-looking substance on my hand. My eyes widen severely. __What the heck is this?!__

"How interesting...~"

Jumping at Hisoka's voice right next to me. In my distracted state I had moved away from my new friends. __Shoot.__

"Hello, Hisoka," I say while trying to keep my cool. I can't help but flinch when Hisoka reaches out to touch my cheek. His thumb easily wipes off the odd substance there, his face smirking with ire. __It was him?! Bastard!__

"What is that stuff?" I ask him carefully, completely disturbed.

"Well, I could explain but you don't know what Nen is so it would be pointless...~"

I want to be mad at him, but...a laugh bubbles out of my throat instead. His playful, annoying, and cunning behavior is just what I needed to get out of my bored stupor. He looks surprised at my sudden laughing fit but quickly goes back to smirking.

"What's so funny, little minx?~"

"I was going crazy with boredom! You're personality is annoying, but also oddly refreshing. Definitely not boring."

He gives me another straight-faced look and I tense. __Why do I have to open my stupid mouth?__

"You're...very different...~" he smirks, I relax, "How __refreshing__ ~," he mocks.

"I'd rather be different than boring," I tell him honestly. He nods his head almost in agreement. "Ne, Hisoka, what's Nen?"

"Sorry. Not allowed to tell~." He has another annoying smirk on his face. __Maybe not so refreshing after all.__

"Fine. Any questions?" I'm anxious to get this conversation over with. Just because he cures my boredom doesn't mean he isn't still really dangerous.

"Just one...What species are you~?"

"..."

"Well?~"

"Human...?" It came out more like a question. __Shouldn't that be obvious?__

"Hmm~."

"Well then...if that's all..." I say hesitantly. He only smirks and moves up to run next to a weird guy with pins stuck all over his body. __O-kay...__

"Hey, there you are. Why'd you move up without us, Clover?" I glance at Killua, who just came up on my right.

"Yeah, you had us worried again! Why was Hisoka talking to you?" Gon spouts off from my left.

"O-oh...I'm sorry to worry you again. I was lost in my thoughts and didn't notice at first that I ran ahead. Where are Kurapika and Leorio?" I purposely avoid Gon's question about Hisoka. For some reason I feel like I shouldn't tell them. Gon takes the bait and starts telling me about everything that happened while I was gone. I glance at Killua and find him already staring at me with intense eyes. __Looks like he noticed...__

"And now Killua and I are racing to the finish! The loser has to buy the winner dinner. Do you want to join in?" Gon's voice pulls me away from Killua's stare.

"Sure!" I smile warmly at Gon. __They are so going down__. I smirk and glance at Killua. "But when I win, will you both be paying for my dinner? Or will third place pay for my dinner?"

Killua's eyes widen with amusement and he takes the challenge with a scoff. "That's a surprisingly cocky attitude you've got there, Clover." I smile innocently at him. __This'll be fun.__

"Woohoo! Lets do this!" Gon yells, "Ready! Set! GO!"

In five second I'm running next to Mr. Satotz with an evil smile on my face. __Poor boys__. I chuckle darkly. Mr. Satotz clears his throat, causing me to look up at him. I smile.

"Hope I'm not bothering you, Mr. Satotz. You can just ignore me, I'm winning a race at the moment," I tell him casually. He raises an eyebrow but nods his acceptance.

Soon enough, the exit to the tunnel comes into view. I can feel Gon and Killua coming up behind me so I run ahead of Mr. Satotz and burst through the exit with a happy sigh. Turning my head, I see Gon and Killua jump past through the exit.

"GOAL," they shout together. I chuckle fondly at their antics as they argue about who was first. Guess they didn't notice me standing here.

"Ne, Mr. Satotz, who was first?" Gon asks.

"You both passed the finish line simultaneously," he answers, then flicks his eyes to me, "But I believe she is the winner. She passed through the exit before I did."

"What?!" They exclaim at the same time, quickly following his gaze to see me. I wave. Killua scowls.

"Wow, Clover. You're really fast!" Gon says with a smile.

"You guys don't have to buy me dinner if you don't want to," I tell them casually.

"Well, a deals a deal," Killua says, his scowl turning into a small smile. Gon nods in agreement. __Don't have to tell me twice.__

"Is this where the second phase starts?" Gon asks Mr. Satotz.

"No, we still have quite a ways to go," he replied. __More running? Boring...__

Gon and Killua go to sit down by the exit, but I don't follow them.

"Is it okay if I go sit in that tree while we wait for everybody?" I ask Mr. Satotz, pointing to one of the nearest trees.

"Yes. But you should rejoin the group when the exit closes," he replies, not even batting an eye at my odd request.

"Okay, thank you."

I find the highest branch that will still hold my weight and plop down with a sigh.

 _I really hope this exam_ _ _turns out interesting after all.__


	3. Chapter 3

The cool, refreshing air of the wetlands moves through my body like medicine. Although running through the sewer-like tunnel had been stifling and overall unpleasant, it was something that I was accustomed to. Growing up in an orphanage and then being kicked out to live in Meteor City meant that having to breath stale or putrid air was bearable for me. Living on the streets is really hard, but I feel I'm better off because of it. Toughness is a virtue, and it comes in handy in most situations.

I was only about six years old when the mistresses kicked me out. With no money, Meteor City was the only available option and, at first, I was too cautious to really explore more than the small area I had built my shelter in. When I felt I had gained enough fighting skills though, I soon started exploring the building. I can remember sleeping on a rooftop just for the fun of it, and then found I liked it better than sleeping on the ground. I feel at peace up high where there's always a breeze and the air is always just a little bit better.

 _ _Stop reminiscing, baka.__

My sigh is far reaching.

Hisoka's odd question from earlier comes to the forefront of my mind. __Why would he ask me that? Don't I look human?__ Sure, my mint green eyes kind of freakishly resemble a cat's and my dark purple hair is a little strange but I still __look__ human.  
My abilities have always made me curious as to who my parents are, and I've always been oddly good at fighting without ever having any training, but I've never really questioned my status as human...

 _ _You're so stupid.__

 _ _Can't argue with you this time__.

The prospect of not being in the human category doesn't scare me as much as I thought it would, now that I think about it. Even if I'm not completely human, or even if I'm a completely different species, I'll still be __me__. Only I can change who I am, not my species. My new friends might not be as accepting though...

"Little minx.~"

"Hmm?" I peek over the side of the branch and see Hisoka standing at the base of the tree, looking up at me with a smirk. A resigned sigh escapes my lips and I only hesitate for a second, before gracefully jumping from my perch. I land without making a sound. Hisoka raises an eyebrow. I shrug.

"Hello, Hisoka."

"Hello. Do you like being in high places?~"

"Yes. I prefer high places to ground level. That tunnel was the first underground experience that I've had, and I've no desire to be in a place like that again."

"Hmm~," he smiles wider. __He's up to something...__

"I want to change the conditions of our deal.~" I narrow my eyes at his smirk.

"That's not really how deals work..." I say slowly. His eyes narrow back at me and that threatening feeling I first sensed after my prank comes back with force. My muscles tense.

"Okay, okay, you win. Holy moly, Hisoka. What is that feeling you give off..." His face loses some of its intensity and he chuckles at my expression. I guess I would too if I could see it; a mixture of terrified, curious, and cautious.

"That's the bloodlust I mentioned earlier. It's connected to Nen. Now about our new deal. I want you to owe me three favors~." His eyes glint with malicious intent, and I can't help the shiver that races down my spine.

"Okay...do I get anything out of this deal?"

"I won't kill any of your new little friends~," he says joyfully. __W-what? No!__

"Yes, I've noticed my little minx branching out. How horrible it would be it something were to happen to one of them. Maybe that Kurta boy...or perhaps the green one...~"

Red starts to creep into my vision. I can feel my body getting hot, like a fire was lit inside of me. A growl escapes my lip. In the back of my mind, I know this intense rage bubbling to the surface should not be there, but all I can do is watch almost as an outsider as my body does what my anger wills it to.

I lunge for Hisoka and manage to graze his cheek with my claw. __Wait...claw?!__ My second of hesitation is all he needs and before I know it Hisoka has pinned me to the tree with his hand once again around my throat. This time he _is_ squeezing, but in my current state the pain is nonexistent. I growl louder at him and prepare to go for his throat. Surprise registers in his eyes before he pulls me towards him, and then slams me harshly back into the tree. __That...I felt.__

My head throbs where it made contact with the tree. In my disorientation, some of the anger dissipates. And then I finally feel it. Hisoka's bloodlust is so intense that some of the bark on the tree is singed off. My anger completely leaves me then, replaced by a fear I've never felt before. So strong that I can't even breathe. Golden eyes glint with desire and anger. Hisoka leans in close and my heart threatens to leap from my chest. __Crap crap crap crap crap.__

He stops a hair's breadth away from my face.

"Careful...with that temper...Clover..." he whispers with no lilt in his voice. All I can do is stare.

I slide down the trunk of the tree when he lets me go, shaking like a leaf in the wind. I barely notice him walking away. My blank eyes staring at nothing.

 _ _I think...I think I just almost died. He was about to kill me, I could see it in his eyes. So, why am I still alive?__

Before now, I knew Hisoka was strong, but...clearly I underestimated just how truly frightening he really is.

 _ _Why did I attack him? That was so stupid! Although, I didn't actually attack him of my own volition. It was like someone else was controlling my body. That anger...I've never felt something like that before.__

I sit frozen in fear for what seems like ages, until a hand touches my shoulder.

"GYAAAAAAH!"

I'm up and facing whoever touched me, ready for a fight, when I notice who it is. Leorio lays on the ground twitching slightly. Dread washes over me. __Oh no, I must have shocked him on instinct, thinking he was an enemy.__

I quickly rush to him and lay my hands on his chest, retracting my electricity from him, like soaking up water with a towel. Just as I can administer electricity, I can also take it away. His twitching stops and instead of backing away from him, I tackle him in a crushing hug.

"I'm so sorry, Leorio! I didn't mean to shock you, I swear! I'm so so sorry!"

"Ne...Clover, its okay. It doesn't hurt anymore! Whatever you did worked, I feel fine!" He says reassuringly, putting his arms around me and hugging me back. After a while I sit up and look at Leorio's reassuring smile. It falters though, when he sees my face, and his thumb reaches up to gently swipe across my cheek.

"Don't cry, Clover. I promise I'm not hurt."

 _ _What?__ My face must register surprise as I sit down next to Leorio, curiously touching my own cheek. Sure enough there are tears there. __I've never cried before.__

My eyes are then drawn to Gon, Killua, and Kurapika who stand with open mouths, looking at Leorio, then to me, then to Leorio and back again.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to no one in particular. __I've definitely lost my new friends now__.

"What...the hell was that?" Killua was the first to recover. I look up at him, into his eyes, and see apprehension mixed with confusion.

"That was my...static electricity. I can usually control it at will, but...when I feel threatened or scared I tend to shroud my body with it. Leorio, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shock you," my voice holds too much pain and fear, even to my own ears.

"Clover, I'm not mad at you. It was an accident, okay? We saw you sitting here and you looked absolutely terrified so we came to check on you." Leorio's concern makes me relax a little and I try my hardest to believe his words.

"What happened?" Kurapika asks seriously, a hint of anger in his smooth tone. Glancing up at him, our eyes connect and I instantly feel better. __The Kurta have always had such calming personalities.__

"Hisoka..." I mumbled as a way of answering. I didn't really want to rehash what happened, but I would if they asked to know more. All four of them tense and angry expressions flash across their faces.

"What did he do?" asks Killua. I heave a heavy sigh and start from the very beginning, with my pranks. When I'm done I can't bear to see their faces, probably full of distrust and contempt. A tear threatens to drop from the corner of my eye, but I mentally force it back. __I don't like this new crying thing...__

"Thank you."

I glance up in surprise at Kurapika, who has a determined look on his face. __Why is he thanking me?__

"You would have fought with Hisoka, just because he threatened us. People you barely know, in all honesty. If you're willing to protect me, then I promise to protect you too," He says with conviction. __What?__

"Yes, thank you. You're a super brave girl!" Gon adds in with a smile. I look between them in shock.

"Thank you, Clover. I'm grateful for your strength," Leorio comments as well, giving my shoulder a squeeze. __Why are they not mad at me?__

"W-why?" I ask in a small voice.

"Because," Gon speaks up, "we're your friends. And friends watch out for each other. Always."

My smile is slow coming, but soon I'm beaming at all four of them. Killua walks up to me and extends his hand to help me up.

"Thanks," he says simply. I can see it though, behind the casual facade, his appreciation for my actions. I can't find it in myself to be mad at the distrust in his eyes. _I know I wouldn't trust me either._

 _That doesn't make sense, baka._

 _Shh._

"I've...never had any friends before. Your friendship means more to me than you know, and I promise to always be there for all of you," I tell them seriously. They smile, but our little moment is broken by the exit to the tunnel loudly closing.

"We should probably rejoin the group," Kurapika says. I nod in agreement. I can feel Hisoka's eyes on me as we mix back with the group. It takes a lot of self restraint to not glare at him. _Just ignore him and focus on getting through the exam._

"-will try to trick you many times. You must stay on your guard," Mr. Satotz finishes his explanation. A few people grumble about not getting tricked if they know about it first, including Leorio.

"Stop! He's not the real examiner! I am," a man suddenly shout. He looks roughed up but I find myself suspicious rather than concerned. __Mr. Satotz is the real examiner. So who's this guy?__

"He's a man-faced ape, posing as your examiner so as to lure you to his feeding ground! Don't be fooled, this is actually what he looks like." The man shows us monkey-like creature with Mr. Satotz' face. I don't buy it. I can sense way more power from Mr. Satotz than from this guy...

There's a swish, and then the man falls to the ground with three playing cards stuck in him. My gaze cuts to Hisoka, knowing that the throw came from him. His eyes connect with mine and he smiles devilishly. I make my face a blank mask, but his smile only widens at that.

"Well, that settles it then. Any Hunter could easily stop that attack. He's the real examiner~."

We all turn our heads to Mr. Satotz and find him holding three cards between his fingers. He flicks them to the ground.

"I'll take that as a complement," his tone sharpens, "but if you attack me again, I will have you disqualified. Do you understand?"

"Sure~." Hisoka gives me a wink before turning away. My anger flares, but I push it down harshly. I really do not want to provoke him again. Next to me, Killua tenses up and I glance over at him. He's looking at the examiner with a contemplative expression. _I wonder what he's worried about..._

"Now, we still have quite a ways to go. Take care to keep sight of me while we run. You do not want to get lost in these wetlands," Mr. Satotz says as he turns and promptly starts to run towards the forest.

 _ _Here we go__.


	4. Chapter 4

__Will I ever catch a break?__

 _ _With your luck...no.__

 _ _Ugh.__

We're currently following, or trying to follow, Mr. Satotz through the wetlands. Hisoka had maneuvered his way behind Gon, Killua, and I, creating no mystery for who's been burning a hole into the back of my head for the last two miles. The air around us is getting steadily more tense as we go, and I don't think my nerves will last much longer.

Hisoka's bloodlust suddenly flares, causing me to barely avoid stumbling. __Dammit!__

"Are you okay?" Gon asks, giving me a confused look.

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"You growled..."

 _ _Darn__. My cheeks redden and a nervous chuckle escapes me.

"O-oh, did I? Sorry...I do that, uh...Hisoka was giving bad vibes and it kind of s-set me off, I guess..." I want to crawl under a rock at how ridiculous I sound. __So embarrassing!__

Killua simply lifts an eyebrow at my explanation and looks past me to Gon.

"Ne, Gon. We should try to move up," he says casually. __Yes, please. The more distance between Hisoka and I the better.__

"Oh yeah! We don't want to lose sight of the examiner," Gon agrees.

"I was thinking more of getting away from Hisoka. He's bad news," KIllua tells him seriously. Gon nods and glances back, probably looking for Kurapika and Leorio. They hadn't been able to keep pace with us.

"Leorio, Kurapika! Killua say we should move up!"

Killua's eyes widen and he gives Gon an incredulous look.

"Gon! Can't you feel the tense atmosphere?" He whisper-yells. __Yeah, no kidding__.

"Baka!" We hear Leorio shout, "If I could move up, I'd already be there!"

"Don't worry about us, Gon! We'll be fine!" Kurapika yells. I don't want Hisoka to set me off again, but I don't like the idea of leaving them behind.

"I'm going to fall back with them, since they can't get away from Hisoka."

Gon hesitates with me but Killua tells him to come on, and with a reassuring nod from me he follow him into the fog.

Slowing my pace I come up on Kurapika's right side, making him jump slightly. I chuckle.

"Clover, how do you do-"

I don't hear the rest of his sentence, because suddenly I'm jerked to the side by some kind of tail wrapped around my waist.

"Oomph!" The tail thing slams me onto the ground roughly before releasing me, and I struggle to regain the breath that was knocked out of me. As soon as I'm able to face the creature, I wish I hadn't. A large lizard monster towers over me with sharp, glistening teeth. And it looks hungry.

 _ _Why am I so unlucky?__

 _ _Karma, probably...__

 _ _Not now!__

It lets out a victorious sounding screech before attacking. I dodge, but not quick enough. It's claws make contact with my side, tearing my shirt and taking a chunk of my skin. The sharp pain causes me to flinch as I land roughly. My eyes try to track it's slithering movements, but the fog clouds my vision. _There's no way I can beat this thing in the fog._

 _Maybe not, but you can slow it down!_

Static builds in my palm, and when sparks begin to fly I raise my hand, palm facing the lizard monster. The burst of electricity is magnificent, but I don't waist anytime ogling my handy work. Instead I high-tail it in a random direction __away__ from the man eating lizard. My legs struggle to keep running as the wound at my side bleeds more and more. Eventually I stumble into a clearing, but my happiness at getting away is cut short when I realize there are others here as well. One of them being Hisoka. __Damn__.

The fog still lingers, but its light enough here that I can clearly see what's going on. The wetlands have so many different sounds emanating from it, but in this clearing the unnatural silence speaks volumes.

"You don't get it do you?!" A gangster-looking man yells at Hisoka. "None of us are passing the exam this year! But _you_ won't be returning!" The other men with gangster-guy quickly surround Hisoka. In what has rapidly become Hisoka fashion, instead of concern, a wicked smile graces his features.

"Oh, I see...you all want to play examiner. Well I'll play examiner too~."

The men charge. Hisoka's arm moves in a circular motion around himself, and the men fall to the ground dead. Their throats slit by his playing card. One remains but Hisoka easily cuts him down before he can escape. His movements would be beautiful if they didn't bring death. Hisoka takes in a deep breath, looking almost _aroused_ at the sight of the dead bodies around him.

"Would you like to play as well~?"

My whole body tenses in fear and anticipation. __Did he notice I was here?__ Hisoka doesn't look in my direct though, and instead starts to approach two new figures on my far right. I squint, trying to see who it is, and my eyes widen when I finally recognize them. My voice rings out harshly through the clearing.

 _ _"Leorio! Kurapika! Run!"__

Hisoka's attention snaps towards me. My wound hasn't stopped bleeding, and the amount of blood loss has started to take it's affect. My head pounds with anger and exhaustion, but I force myself to take a step into the clearing.

Our gazes lock. His eyes shine with excitement and bloodlust. They capture the part of me that wants to run away, and unlock something else. Another part of me. One that craves blood and rage and death. To my horror, I know my own eyes reflect his madness; I've taken a back seat to my own body. I no longer have control. My vision tunnels. The last thing I see is Hisoka's advancing figure, before everything fades to black.

 ** **Third person POV****

Clover's body transforms. Black invades the whites of her eyes, and they take on a demonic, savage look. Hisoka's excitement mounts at this new development. The changed Clover smiles, revealing sharp, pointed teeth, as she stands up straight. The wound in her side has stopped bleeding, leaving only her shredded shirt and some dried blood as indication it had been there at all.

Hisoka tenses ever so slightly as she raised one of her hands, and points a clawed fingertip directly at his chest.

"Die," she says casually, almost in an amused tone. Then they collide.

Clover all too easily deflects Hisoka's punchs, causing him to immediately go on the defensive. Although he does not fear her, he retains enough intelligence to know that the situation holds no familiarity. Her new body looks as though killing is it's specialty, like a predator of all predators. _Beautiful,_ he thinks.

Hisoka manages to dodge her frenzied attacks, and barely lands a few hits of his own. Hisoka's Ren flares in an attempt to confound her temporarily, but she immediately retaliates with Ren of her own. Both figures cease movement, each trying to overwhelm the other. Their power equates and the burst of energy forces them back several feet. Hisoka's smile remains.

"How absolutely __wonderful__ ~" he moans out excitedly. His bloodlust mounts at the prospect of having a completely matched fighting partner. Unable to contain himself, he strikes. Clover had remained guarded though, and dodges his sudden attack.

Her expression changes, and just the barest hint of her old self shines through. Like she's trying to fight whatever presence has control. It only lasts for a second, but its long enough for Hisoka to notice. He narrows his eyes in interest.

"Well, you're definitely not Clover," Hisoka says as he flicks playing cards at her. She dodges them seemingly without thinking.

"Are you just going to keep dodging? How boring. Maybe-"

"I just can't do it. I can't run away when I know you're going to hurt her." Hisoka and Clover turn sharply towards the new voice.

"I just can't do it," Leorio says as he steps into the clearing.

Hisoka lets out a devilish and cunning smile as he thinks of a plan. Clover tenses when Hisoka moves one of his feet in the direction of Leorio.

" _ _No__ ," Clover's voice booms with the power of the monster that controls her. Fierce protectiveness blazes within her eyes. Hisoka does not move again, but Leorio takes no heed of Clover and charges at him. It takes only one swift punch to Leorio's jaw and he's out cold.

Clover lets out an enraged cry and strikes Hisoka more furiously than before. The force of her attacks finally lay him out, but instead of going in for the kill, Clover slams her foot onto Hisoka's chest and growls.

"My human does not wish for me to come out," Clover rasps out in a voice not her own, "but I have claimed the protection of four humans. And if you threaten them in my presence again, you will find yourself swiftly in a shallow grave."

Before Hisoka can comment, she jerks back violently and grabs her head with a grimace.

"Stubborn child! Allow me to at least finish my threat-ah!" Clover's eyes roll into the back of her head and she slumps to the ground.

Hisoka looks between the two unconscious figure in amusement.

 _ _His little minx just keeps on surprising him!__

* * *

AN~  
I know this chapter is really short, sorry. I had to end it this way to better transition into my next chapter, and because I'm just skipping the Gon v Hisoka battle, sorry.  
Allons-y


	5. Chapter 5

"Uuuuhhhh."

My head feels like someone hit it with a hammer. Pain burns like fire through my limbs. Everything hurts. __What the heck? What happened?__

"Clover! Hey, Clover..."

"K-Killua?" The sweet relief at hearing a familiar voice almost brings me to tears.

When I finally manage to creek an eye open, I see Killua kneeling in front of me, and I notice that I'm currently sitting against a tree. Quite a few contestants are milling around, as well as Mr. Satotz. An enormous gate looms before us. This must be where the second phase starts. __How did I get here?__

"What happened to you?" His face shows mostly curiosity, almost like he's cataloguing the fact that I can get beat up. __That hurts a little bit...__

 _ _Well, what do you expect from a Zoldyck?__

 _ _Oh goody, you're still here.__

"I...I don't know," my voice exudes distress, "I remember running with Leorio and Kurapika. But...we got separated. A huge lizard monster snatched me up, probably hoping for a snack. I got away, but not before its claws got...me..."

I trail off when I look down at my side, and find only three half centimeter deep gashes. No gaping wound like I remembered it to be. The evidence that it was is the now dried pooled on my shirt. My eyes snap back up to meet his.

"I was bleeding really badly...and then I stumbled into Hisoka..." Killua's earlier confusion completely dissipates and understanding flashes in his eyes.

"What happened? Did you end up fighting him? Was Gon there?" He asks me harshly. I know he's not angry at me, but the force of his intense stare causes me to shrink slightly.

"Did I-? What..."

"You look like you went a few rounds with _someone_ ," he says. My eyes widen. "And lost."

"I don't know," Killua gives me an unconvinced look. "I'm not lying! I remember...Hisoka got surrounded by some contestants and he killed them. Kurapika and Leorio were there. Hisoka was going to kill them too, so I...distracted him. I passed out from blood loss after that."

"Blood loss?" He asks skeptically, "And by distracted do you mean __attacked__? Why would you do that?"

"I saw him cut down ten men in five seconds, Killua. I couldn't...I couldn't let them die too," my voice becomes cold, "I'm not a heartless assassin."

The air around us turns artic, and I instantly regret my thoughtless words. His blue eyes narrow into slits.

 _ _If looks could kill.__

 _ _His just might have that ability.__

 _ _So not helpful.__

"How do you-"

"Killua! Clover!"

Our gazes hold for a second longer, his promising that this isn't over, and mine regretful, before he turns his attention away.

"Gon!" Killua straightens in excitement at seeing his friend. "I was starting to think you weren't going to make it."

Gon doesn't take the bait, and just smiles brightly. He's with Kurapika, and it's not long before their gazes find me.

"What happened, Clover? Kurapika and I were so worried when Hisoka took you and Leorio away!" An edge creeps into Gon's voice when he notices my slightly beaten up state. My heart swells at his concern.

"I didn't know you were there, Gon. Did you see everything that happened?"

"No, I got there right as Hisoka was picking you and Leorio up off the ground. Kurapika said you turned into a demon!"

"Yes, well...I don't know what that was, to be completely honest," my voice chokes out. Kurapika looks rather abashed, but keeps his calm demeanor in place. He quickly transitions the focus.

"Clover, how did you get separated from us in the marsh? Leorio and I were attacked by large tortoises, and when we looked back for you, you weren't there. And then you suddenly showed up at the clearing with Hisoka. Now you look fine...well fine compared to how you looked at the clearing. You looked half dead when we saw you..."

"I got attacked by a lizard monster. I escaped, but...it's claws got me." I turn my attention to Gon. "How did you and Killua get separated?" My swift subject change goes unnoticed by Gon. I glance at Kurapika out of the corner of my eye. He's still looking at me. I'll tell him, just not right now.

"Where's Leorio?" I ask suddenly, interrupting Gon's explanation about getting eaten by a giant frog. My questioning gaze goes to Kurapika, who had walked up with Gon. He smiles warmly at my concerned expression.

"He's over there," Kurapika points to a disoriented Leorio, who's dazedly tending to his swollen cheek.

"Well at least everyone's alright," I say with a relieved sigh. Gon smiles, and Killua gives me a deceptively friendly look. __Oh boy, Killua definitely doesn't trust me anymore.__

 _ _That's what you get for not thinking before speaking.__

I sigh.

"You should go check on poor Leorio. He looks like he needs some help," I tell them. Gon nods, him and Killua quickly making their way over to him.

"...Are you going to tell me?" Kurapika asks once they're out of earshot.

"You already know what happened...I think. I can't really tell you much more, just...I know that I wasn't in control," I know my voice sounds tired, and even a little bit frightened. Kurapika looks like he's trying to make a hard decision.  
He raises his hand and puts it on my shoulder.

"Thank you for telling me what you can," He says sincerely, giving my shoulder a squeeze. "I promise to help you figure it out, okay?"

I smile but my attention is diverted to Mr. Satotz as he begins to speak.

"Congratulations on making it to the second phase. This is where I leave you. Good luck." He casually turns around and prances back into the forest. __O-kay__.

The large gate starts to open and contestants file through. Kurapika grabs my hand and pulls me up. My head instantly feels woozy again, and I would've fallen if Kurapika didn't grab hold of my arm with his other hand.

"If Hisoka continues to do this..." Kurapika's voice holds hostility and his grip tightens. My other hand goes over his. I feel as though telling him not to worry would make him angry, so instead I give him a reassuring smile and squeeze his hand before walking into the park with the rest of the group.

"Welcome!" A woman with green hair greets us. She's standing on a stage next to a very large man, who's sitting on a very comfortable looking couch. __Sleep sounds so good.__

Cooking stations set all over the front of the stage catch my attention next. __Oh no, please not cooking.__

"The second phase will be," yells the green-haired woman, "cooking!"

 _ _You must have been a murderer in your last life to have such bad luck.__

 _ _I hate you...__

"What? We're taking the exam to become Hunters, not chefs!" An angry contestant yells, causing others to start complaining too.

"Stop whining like a bunch of babies! Buhara, take it away," green-haired woman huffs and sits down as the large man, Buhara, stands up.

"You must each make a dish to serve us, and the required ingredient is pork! The second phase starts...now!"

"Are you okay to walk on your own?" Kurapika asks me. I nod and slowly take in a deep breath. My head hurts, but I'm no longer dizzy.

"I'll be fine," I verbalize and straighten from Kurapika's hold. "Let's do this."

We all end up following Gon, who started sniffing the air upon passing back through the gates, as though he could smell where the pigs were. No one seemed like questioning him, so I decided this was normal. After a few minutes he pauses, then jumps down a hill without warning, sliding on his butt. __So weird.__

"Haha, wait up!" Killua yells excitedly, quickly jumping after him. Turning my head I see the face confused expressions of the other two. Leorio shrugs. _Good enough for me._

My excited yelp echoes as I follow the them. We pick up some speed, but suddenly I notice Killua isn't moving anymore.

"Oomph!"

I slam into the back of Killua, and then whoever went after me bangs into my back as well. I turn my head, which is feeling woozy again, and almost touch noses with Kurapika. Both of our faces redden, but then I see Leorio still coming in hot. __Really?!__

He crashes hard into us before I have time to brace myself and Kurapika's chest smashes into my face. Pain sears across my temples from the impact, and an audible wince escapes my lips. Kurapika tenses.

"What the hell, Gon?" Killua reprimands. Gon doesn't respond and promptly points ahead of us. We all turn our gazes in the direction he's pointing. Ginormous pigs stand in a herd before us, and...they're eating bones. One closest to us twitches and looks in our direction. __Oh crap.__

"Run!" Kurapika shouts, pulling up on my forearms in an attempt to get me moving quicker.

Adrenaline makes the pain in my head dull enough to run, and we scramble back up the hill as fast as we can. I break into a sprint away from the others, but a few of the pigs spot me, taking chase. Rushing past a group of confused contestants and not stopping when I hear their screams makes me feel slightly guilty, but I don't have time to worry about them. The other contestants have spotted the pigs and begin attacking vigorously, but to no avail. My eyes sharpen when a ninja guys flings his stars at one pig, but they bounce off it's snout harmlessly.

 _ _There snouts must be their armor. Some kind of evolved defense system...__

Just then I see Gon strike the pig he was battling on the forehead, immediately killing it.

"The forehead! Barrage the foreheads!" Others saw Gon kill the pig and soon they're going down with ease

 _ _I need to find myself a pig before they're all gone.__

I spot a one that isn't currently in battle and dash for it. It sees me coming though, and rears it's head in defense. A feint left, then a quick step right, and I'm behind the beast. Before it can recover and notice me I jump silently into a tree on my right. My lips curl victoriously. __No chance if I'm above you, beast.__

Static flares in my hands. I jump from my perch and land swiftly on it's back, smacking my hands down onto it's forehead. The pigs gives a monstrous wail before keeling over, dead.

 _ _That was easy.__

 _ _Wait...__

 _ _Am I the last one out here?!__

My smile disappears. I'm not the only one left but there's only about 10 contestants plus me not already back at the park. And these stragglers look like they'll never kill their pigs. My eyes roll in annoyance, but I grudgingly pick up my pig and head back. There are only two open spots when I get there. One next to the purple pin-head guy, and one next to Hisoka.

 _ _Can't I ever catch a break?!__


	6. Chapter 6

Maybe it's because I'm scared to be around the pinhead guy...or maybe it's because I want to prove something...

My feet find their way next to Hisoka without much prompting from me, and his eyes slid over to me when I slam my pig onto the counter.

"Hmm~"

There's no guessing at what could be going through his head, but I nod my head in greeting in an attempt to act casual. He smirks, and my heart rate picks up in worry. __Is he thinking about attacking me?__

"You can't fail everyone! Who do you think you are?!" Someone yells suddenly, diverting my attention away from a way too excite Hisoka. A few other contestants are shouting at the green-haired woman as well, and she looks ready to kill. Everyone failed? Her eyes snap in my direction and my body tenses, ready to run.

"I haven't failed everyone, she still hasn't cooked yet," green-haired woman exclaims with contempt. All eyes zero-in on me. Most are hateful, as though they might kill me if I actually pass. My friends look like they feel sorry for me. Bastards, all of them.

I lift my chin and say with all the pride I can muster...

"I don't know how to cook."

Silence. Then, "You're all failures! Better luck next year!"

The attention once again goes to the green-haired woman, making me sink to the ground in relief.

"That's not very impressive~." Hisoka's sharp breath tickles my ear, causing my body to freeze just like at the beginning of the exam. I'm not even breathing at this point. Hisoka lets out a breathy chuckle, making my temper flair despite my fear.

"Oh, I'll be sure to __impress__ you next time," I growl. He leans down even closer, now only a hair's breadth away from the side of my face. At this point my heart might just explode out of my chest.

"Be sure to do exactly that, little minx~."

His presence gets a bit more dull after a few seconds, which means he must have walked away. I let the breath I was holding out in one great whoosh.

Deciding that the exam is probably over, I make my way over to the group. Killua looks like he's holding back a laugh. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Clover, you're face when everyone was looking at you was so funny!" he tells me while suppressing a laugh.

"Baka! That was terrifying," I bursts out, "don't laugh! I thought they were going to kill me!"

All I get are chuckles in response to my panic. _Jerks._

"How are you feeling? Was Hisoka giving you trouble? You look a little pale, maybe Leorio should check on you..." Gon comments.

"No no, I'm alright," I straighten my spine to prove it, "see?"

Gon smiles. I actually do feel better, just a little headache now. And exhaustion. Definitely exhaustion.

"Now you know you aren't allowed to fail everyone, Menchi. That's not fair, is it?"

We turn to the new, authoritative voice in surprise. An old man in robes stands before Menchi, giving a bland but obvious stare. Menchi looks abashed, but still grumbles out an excuse.

"Who's that?" I ask the boys. They all shrug at me.

"Pick something else to test them on. We can't have all of them fail," the old man says sternly.

"Yes, Netero-san."

After some debate, Menchi comes to the conclusion that we will be fetching spider-eagle eggs. All the contestants are herded into a massive airship, that apparently Netero showed up in. It only takes 10 minutes for us the reach Mount Split-In-Half, and then we're all standing at the edge of a cliff watching Menchi free fall.

"Does she even know what she's doing?" Killua wonders aloud, to which I give him a look.

"She's a professional Hunter, of course she knows what she's doing." I nod my head in agreement at Kurapika's comment. A second later, Menchi lands gracefully on her feet by Netero.

"Oh yeah!" Gon shouts excitedly, "I've been waiting for something like this!"

Before Menchi even has time to explain, Gon and Killua race over the edge, followed by mostly everyone else. My sigh sounds frustrated, even to my own ears.

 _ _They didn't even wait for an explanation on how to do it.__

 _ _Yes, because they aren't scared-y cats...__

Huffing in annoyance at my ever-present consciousness, I turn to Menchi and ask for instructions. She tells me that I don't really need to jump until I smell bird poop, which means the breeze from the bottom of the canyon is starting to stir, and if I want it to be more fun then I should hang from the webs like everyone else.

"I'll pass. My idea of fun is just slightly different from yours I think. Thank you, Menchi."

The ravine gaps before me, making my heart race. Its a heady mixture; excitement and fear. It's familiar, and I try not to dwell on who exactly has made me feel it before.

I smile when the faint smell of poop reaches my nose.

 _ _Now you've definitely lost it.__

A laugh bubbles randomly from my throat. Being up this high makes me so happy, it's almost like a drug. I turn around and face all the contestants that couldn't do it, smile, and fall backwards.

The wind rushes in my ears and I can't help but let of a whoop as my body faces forward just in time to snatch one of the eggs. Not a second later wind bursts up from beneath us, causing everyone to suddenly fly upwards. I'm still laughing when I land silently on my feet next to Gon.

"That was amazing!"

"It was so much fun," Gon agrees, sending me a wide smile. Killua comes up and looks at me questioningly. I raise an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you follow everyone?"

"Because none of you waited for Menchi to explain, and I wasn't about to jump into a ravine without knowing what I was doing," I say in my best __'duh'__ tone. Killua has the decency to look a little embarrassed.

 _ _Cute.__

I just laugh and pat his shoulder with a smile.

After eating our well earned eggs and climbing back aboard the airship, Netero explained that we have almost 20 hours to rest and recuperate before the next phase. Although I could feel exhaustion creeping into my bones, when Killua and Gon asked if I wanted to go explore the airship, I couldn't possibly say no.

We wondered around for awhile until we found the kitchen. Naturally, we had a contest of who could steal food without being caught. And naturally, I won. My skills at sneaking around undetected have always been above average. Sometimes, I'm even stealthy when I don't want to or mean to be. Just another mystery about myself I need answers to.

"How do you do that, Clover?" Killua suddenly asks me as we're walking away from the kitchen, stolen goods in hand.

"Do what?"

"Be completely silent like that? Almost like you're invisible...I mean the chef looked right at you and he barely even noticed you. If you hadn't sneezed he would have never seen you."

"Well...I honestly don't know. I've just always been able to sneak around pretty easily," my voice trails off at the look Killua gives me. A mixture of disbelief and suspicion.

 _ _Is he always this suspicious, or is it just me?__

 _ _It's probably just because you're a wack-job.__

 _ _Thank you for that. Truly.__

"Are you an assassin?" he asks seriously. The air in the corridor becomes tense and we all stop walking. My stare becomes icy before I can stop myself; anger making my words come unbidden.

"Wouldn't you know if I was?"

Our eyes connect. I know I'm not wrong on my first assumption. Killua looks exactly like Silva, and I would know, seeing as Silva almost killed me three years ago.

"Wow! Guys, look at the view!" Gon shouts, shattering the tension like it was nothing. I chuckle without thinking. If Killua was still serving his family, he wouldn't be here, I'm sure of it.

My attention is dragged away from Killua when I finally take in the view Gon was shouting about. It's breathtaking. The lights from the city below look small, but the amount of them create an effect of seeing a galaxy. This is why I love heights. Everything is more beautiful the farther you are from it.

A headache begins to creep behind my eyes, making me wince. I really should get some sleep, or else I might not be prepared for the next phase.

"Well boys, I think I'm gonna have to head to bed. I'm so tired I might just pass out," I tell them with a shaky smile.

"Goodnight, Clover! Sleep well," Gon tells me cheerily. How he has so much energy, I'll never know.

"Yeah, later." Killua's noncommittal farewell makes me smile. For some reason, I think it means he forgives me.

Waving, I make my way towards the designated sleeping quarters. Hopefully, there's at least one room with no one in it.

After searching almost ten room, I finally stumble upon a room with a bunk bed. The door doesn't have a lock, but most of the contestants are already asleep so I don't think it'll be a problem. Climbing into the top bunk would be ideal, but my body barely makes it to the bottom bed itself before collapsing. I'm asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow.

-AN-

Hello! So sorry about how long this took. This is my first time doing this and it's really hard to get past writers block. Any tips on how to move past it when you've hit a rut? Anyways, let me know what you think and thanks a lot for reading. Allons-y


	7. Chapter 7

__My eyes sting from the blood running in them.__

 _ _There's blood everywhere, and even though I'm injured, I know most of it isn't mine. The scene before me causes bile to rise in my throat. Dead bodies litter the floor, everywhere I look.__

 _ _"It seems you cannot control me yet. My blood lust overwhelms you still. How absolutely...delightful."__

 _ _I know that voice. It's a voice I've always heard. Since as long as I can remember.__

 _ _It always comes out when bad things happens. It tells me to kill, to cut, to devour.__

 _ _"I don't want to be evil," I whisper into the dead silence. The smell of death starts to permeate the room. I have to get out. I have to. Have to-__

 _ _Then I'm screaming. There's so much pain. So much. I'm writhing on the floor.__

 _ _"You can't hide it from me, human. The power..it calls to you. You desire the rush, even if you won't admit it," the voice makes some of the pain go away. I listen closer. Anything to stop the fire in my body.__

 _ _"Yes, yes, you see; you want! Just let me help you."__

 _ _I want to say yes, but then people will die.__

 _ _"You love the feeling of a life in your hands...the blood of a struggle...love it..."__

 _ _I love it. No. Yes.__

 _ _"Just give in..."__

 _ _My eyes hurt, and my hands are soaked in blood. I can feel my sanity slipping, but I can't recall why I was so worried. They're just humans. There's always humans. Yes. Blood does feel nice...nice.__

 _ _My smile reflects the red of the massacre around me. Just humans.__

 _ _"Yes."__

 _ _Blood continues to flow...__

"Little minx~"

 _ _And flow...__

"Clover~"

Reality comes back to me slowly, almost like a video finally coming into focus. I'm still in the room I fell asleep in, but I'm not in bed. I'm standing. With my hand around someone's neck.

"As exhilarating as this is, I really don't want to have to kill you yet~"

Hisoka. I have my hand around Hisoka's neck. __Oh my god.__

I immediately release him, but that's when I notice he had his hand around my neck as well. Before I can even attempt to escape his grasp, he has me slammed into the floor. I can tell he's not angry, just excited at my act of violence. His face gets so close to my own as he leans over me that I can see the golden flecks in his eyes. A growl rumbles out of my throat, making his smile widen.

 _ _What is wrong with me!__

 _ _Maybe you've decided to grow a spine.__

 _ _I'll get myself killed at this rate!__

"Hisoka," I barely cough out. His grip on my neck tightens ever so slightly. I can feel it start to stir...the anger that I can't explain. It threatens to take over, just below the surface. I push it away with all my might.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hmm~. Your blood lust was so dense I just had to come see what was causing it. You attacked me as soon as I came into the room. You seemed __quite__ happy to see me if I recall~," he laughs maniacally and tightens his grip once more.

"I attacked you?" I wheeze out, "I don't remember doing that!"

Black spots start to dance around the edges of my vision, and I vaguely hear a deeper version of my voice threaten to rip Hisoka's throat out. Suddenly, the pressure is gone and air rushes hungrily back into my lungs.

"Don't forget about our deal, little minx. I have a feeling I'll be needing some favors soon...~."

He exits the room in a flourish, winking at me as he goes. I stay where I am, trying to catch my breath. I want to curl into a ball and cry, but for some reason I just can't. Guess the whole crying thing is over...that didn't last long.

"Clover? There you are, we're almost to the the site for the next phase..." Kurapika's voice trails off, making my head turn towards the door. Our eyes lock, and his widen when they travel down to my neck.

"Cover, who did that to you?"

I'm guessing Hisoka left bruises on my neck. __Great.__

"No one," my voice comes out lifeless as I struggle to stand up, too drained to be animated. I just want to sleep, but even then I know I wouldn't be able to escape my nightmares.

 _Right. Nightmare. I'll probably have to think about what the actual hell that was._

 _Hidden desires?_

I'm so disturbed that I don't even give myself a response.

"Hisoka did that didn't he? It was him wasn't it?" He remains persistent. My sigh gives him pause, and he looks almost like he wants to hug me but thinks better of it.

"I'll take care of it. Just leave it. I appreciate your concern though."

"Hmm," he sighs. I take that as a truce, and smile.

"Is everyone else up?" I ask. Making our way to the back of the airship I notice most of the sleeping quarters are empty .

"I don't know. Leorio and I woke up when the contestants we were sleeping by started to get up."

"You guys fell asleep around other contestants?" I ask skeptically.

"Yeah, we were too tired to care. I was surprised that you decided to stay up with Gon and Killua."

Chuckling, I shrug and we stop near the back of the crowd that's gathered next to Leorio. We exchange good mornings and he asks me how I'm feeling. I avoid mentioning my internal instability and tell him I feel much better. The other two join us a few minutes later.

"You look wreaked, old man," is Killua's greeting to Leorio.

"You brat! I'm not old!"

My smile is natural for once. Watching them bicker makes me oddly happy.

"Good morning, Clover. Did you manage to get some rest?" Gon's excited voice grabs my attention and I smile his way.

"Yup. You?"

"Yeah! I would have gotten more, but Killua and I played a really fun game with Mr. Netero. Killua gave up halfway through."

"Hey!"

As they bicker, I once again I marvel at the fact that I actually have friends. It makes me really glad that my boredom brought me to the Hunter's Exam.

"Yes, I probably would have slept better too if it wasn't for Leorio's snoring," Kurapika comments with a smirk. A chuckle bubbles out of my throat at the hurt expression on Leorio's face.

"Well if we get a chance to sleep again you can sleep with me, Kurapika," I tell him sincerely. Leorio lets out a choking cough, and everyone stares at me. __What's there deal?__

"What?"

My concern grows when no one answers my question. I know sometimes I don't say the right things, mostly because I've never had much interaction with people around my age. Or people in general for that matter.

"Clover! Can I sleep with you too?" Gon suddenly asks me. He's smiling so brightly that I can't help but smile back.

"Of course, Gon!" I laugh, patting his head.

Gon reminds me of the kids that used to follow me around in Meteor City. It makes me want to protect him, like he's my little brother.

"So, Killua gave up huh?" I ponder out loud, smirking at Killua. He scowls at me.

"Everyone's moving," Kurapika pipes up from a few feet away. The loading platform had opened, with most of the contestants already outside. When I step off the platform and onto the...tower...I'm hit with a extreme sense of foreboding. It's so intense that I shiver, despite the hot temperature.

"Did you hear anything Mr. Bean said?" Gon whispers from my left. I blanch, because I didn't even notice he was talking.

"No...Kurapika?"

"Yes?"

"What's up with this phase? I didn't hear the bean."

He chuckles, then tells me that apparently this place is called Trick Tower. And all we have to do is get down it within a certain amount of time. __That sounds easy enough.__

"Let's split up and try to find a way down," Leorio suggests. We all nod in agreement and start wandering around. A few minutes later I notice that there aren't as many contestants as when we started out. __They had to have found some way to get down.__

"I'm sure Kurapika has found someth-" my foot finds air instead of concrete. The feeling of falling hits me hard, causing panic to seep into my bones. It's over a second after it started though, my ankles reverberating with the force of the landing.

"Ow," my mumbled voice echoes into the darkness around me. __Crap I can't see a thing...__

A low, excited chuckle sounds off from my left.

My body tenses in preparation for a fight, but my mind screams at me to hide. That laugh belongs to one person, and my desire to be far away from that person was apparently not accepted by fate.

"Wonderful," I strain my eyes in the direction of the voice, "I'm so happy to be working with you, little minx~."

"Hisoka," my tone has a mind of it's own, and remains firmly in disappointed, "when will you tire of toying with me?"

"Never," his breath tickles my ear, causing a multitude of shivers to rocket down my spine. Without thinking I swing my arm around in an attempt to hit him. My fist connects with nothing, and I only have a second to regret my action.

Hisoka grabs my arm, twisting it behind my back, and effectively spinning me around. He shoves me forward causing my front to slam into a wall. I growl in frustration at being so easily taken down. __He always beats me!__

 _ _That's because you never let me out to play.__

The shock is so intense that a gasp escapes my lips, and I still completely. I've always had the "second voice" but never thought it was more than my overactive imagination. My conscious, so to speak. But that voice hasn't ever referred to itself. Like it was separate from me.

"What?" I say aloud. Hisoka becomes mere background noise.

 _ _Let me out to play. I promise I won't take you completely over. I like this clown, I want to play with him.__

"Minx~," Hisoka grabs my attention. He's so close that he's basically leaning on me. My breath catches.

"I'm calling in one of my favors...~," his lips graze the shell of my ear, " _ _show me the other you."__

I'm scared, but almost too curious to notice. I want to know what's going on with me but I don't know what will happen.

 _ _*Will you promise to make sure I can still...see...what's going on?__

 _ _Of course, my little human.__

I take a deep breath and try to ignore the "human" comment.

"Okay."

-An-

Hello! So, this is very rushed and I apologize for that. The next chapter will probably take me a long time because I'll have to find a decent way to write Clover's POV, but at the same time have it mainly be the other entity in control. The next two chapters will be where you find out a lot about Clover's "other side" and most of the technicalities. Any criticism that isn't rude will be greatly appreciated please, I want to improve!

Anyways, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

Allons-y


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